Animal Aid

Help end the killing of Scottish seals

Scotland is fortunate to be the guardian of around 90 per cent of the UK's internationally-important seal populations - yet some colonies have already declined by around 40 per cent.

Thousands of seals are needlessly shot by the fish and farming industries in Scotland every year. The Conservation of Seals Act 1970 permits seals to be shot during the closed season, which means that pregnant seals or those with dependent pups can legally be shot. There is no requirement for shooters to meet any standard of proficiency, resulting in additional suffering.

The Scottish government is currently consulting members of the public about a new Marine Bill. Please contact them and ask for the Marine Bill to include full protection for seals.

Call on BBC to dump coverage of Crufts

Crufts, which is run by the Kennel Club, is well known for its strict rules on conforming to an ideal 'breed standard' of appearance. A recent BBC One documentary (Pedigree Dogs Exposed) exposed the breeding processes used to produce pedigree dogs and the high incidence of painful genetic diseases they suffer as a consequence. Pedigree Dogs Exposed compared practices at the Kennel Club with Nazism in its emphasis on breed purity. It is the 'breed standards', set by the Kennel Club, which, through selective breeding, have led to what a Shooting Times contributor and the RSPCA's chief vet, Mark Evans, have both called 'a parade of mutants'. Many Crufts entrants are deformed, disabled, disease-prone and in constant pain. Apart from the impact on the animals concerned, these problems often result in costly veterinary bills. Please contact the BBC and ask it to drop its coverage of Crufts - due to be aired in March 2009.

4 October 2008 World Animal Day

Every year, people across the world celebrate World Animal Day, and use this day to encourage others to express their love and respect for all animals.

This year, Animal Aid is asking you to write a letter to your local paper about the barbaric shooting industry. Every year, more than 40 million pheasants and partridges are used as feathered targets by callous shooters.

However, there are many other victims of this bloodsport who receive little or no mention – the wildlife commonly referred to as ‘vermin’ or ‘pests’ by gamekeepers.

Millions of animals are slaughtered every year in ‘predator control’ programmes, because they pose a threat to the survival of gamebirds. Species such as stoats, weasels, foxes and members of the crow family are systematically eliminated through the use of guns, traps, snares and poison. These animals are ruthlessly killed – all to ensure the survival of birds who are destined to be gunned down.

Please write to your local paper about World Animal Day and ask people to remember all the animals sacrificed by the shooting industry. You may also wish to reference Animal Aid’s website in your letter, should readers wish to find out more or wish to support our campaigns to help all animals.

For more information about World Animal Day, including a diary of events across the globe, please visit www.worldanimalday.org.uk.

Flog your dog ad

Loot, the popular classified newspaper, is currently running a printed advert showing a photo of a bull dog with the words 'Flog your dog' printed at the top. Not only does this advert put a comedy spin on animal abuse, but it is also a highly inappropriate method for finding a dog a new home. No home checks will be carried out and it makes it easy for breeders to profit from trading dogs, as if they were pieces of furniture. Please contact the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and Loot to complain about the content of this advert and ask for it to be banned.

Please write to:
Loot
Enquiries
3rd Floor
Acresfield
8-10 Exchange Street
Manchester
M2 7HA

Tel: 0871 2225000

Save our Wild Spaces

Somerset County Council plan to relocate a school from the town onto a greenfield site at Skimmerton Lane near Bridgwater. Local campaigners say that dozens of species of animal that would be disturbed or killed should this development go ahead. They have made a film about the proposed building work and have asked for people to write to the Council with their objections.

Somerset County Council
County Hall
The Crescent
Taunton TA1 4DY

Help to Get Jumps Racing Banned in Australia

Animal Aid is supporting the Ban Jumps Racing campaign in the Australian States of Victoria and South Australia.

You can assist us by writing to the two politicians below. Please tell them you have seen the internet videos (links are pasted below) and that Australia's international reputation is being damaged by allowing jumps racing to continue.

Mr John Brumby
Premier of Victoria
1 Treasury Place
Melbourne
Australia 3000
john.brumby@parliament.vic.gov.au

Mr Rob Hulls
Minister for Racing
473 Keilor Road
Niddrie
Victoria
Australia 3042
rob.hulls@parliament.vic.gov.au

Watch 'Jumps Racing: The Real Story. This took place during the prestigious 'Australian Hurdle' on June 14th

Watch 'Horse Racing Kills (Again)' (This is the ABC's evening news coverage on 28th June).

Visit www.animalsaustralia.org to find up to date information about the campaign.

Protest Against Reintroduction of Shooting on Ilkley Moor

Bradford Council plans to reintroduce grouse shooting to Ilkley moor a decade after it was banned. The Bingley Moor Partnership, which operates grouse shooting on the neighbouring Bingley and Burley moors, has been granted permission by Bradford Council to run shoots on Ilkley Moor for the next 10 years.

Bradford Council's own Environmental Policy states that they will make every effort to: 'Safeguard natural habitats and species and preserve the nature and character of the district' and 'Prevent environmental pollution arising from its own operations and use its powers to minimise the impact of others within the District.'

These objectives are not compatible with grouse shooting or the burning and draining of moors. Not only is the shooting of live quarry cruel, but there is good evidence to show that many so-called 'pest' species are killed to encourage grouse populations, and that moorland 'management' actually harms the natural landscape and may be environmentally damaging.

There is also concern over safety, as many people currently enjoy the natural beauty of the moor with their families, free from the noise and potential risk of shotguns.

Please contact Bradford Council's Chief Executive, Tony Reeves politely asking the council not to put profit before the welfare of people, animals and the environment. Please also copy your communication to the Leader of the Council, Kris Hopkins to Ilkley Town Hall, and to Ann Cryer MP.

Tony Reeves (Chief Executive)
Bradford Metropolitan District Council
City Hall,
Centenary Square,
Bradford, BD1 1HY
Tel: 01274 432111 (switchboard) 01274 432240 (licensing)

Kris Hopkins (Leader of the Council)
Leaders Office
City Hall
Bradford
BD1 1HY

Ilkley Town Hall
Station Road
Ilkley
LS29 8HB
Tel: 01943 436 212

Ban Electric Shock Collars

Electric shock collars for dogs will now be banned in Wales, thanks to pressure from concerned individuals and groups. With Wales leading the way, it's time these cruel and unsuitable training methods are made illegal in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland too. Shock collars consist of a small battery fitted to the collar, which has two blunt metal probes that make contact with the dog's neck. To teach the dog not to do something, the owner can administer an electric shock - that can be increased in strength - using a remote control. In addition to causing pain, electric shock collars can cause behavioural problems, as the dog may associate anything they happen to see in front of them with the shock. Many dogs can be turned into nervous wrecks as a result. Dogs love to learn so training should always be enjoyable and rewarding, not a frightening or painful experience. Please contact your MP and ask them to ban these unnecessary, cruel and outdated devices and instead promote responsible training methods.

Dogs are for life, not for rent

A dog rental company called FlexPetz has recently opened in London with the intention to expand to other cities across the UK. FlexPetz customers get to rent a dog for certain periods of time without accepting the responsibilities that come with owning an animal. Dogs are sentient creatures who form bonds with their guardians. They need stability and to make an emotional attachment. If they are routinely rented out to more than one person, these basic needs will remain unfulfilled. They may become disturbed and are likely to develop behavioural problems. The company promises to rent out only dogs aged 2-5 years old and to date FlexPetz has not commented on the fate of the dogs once they pass this age. If FlexPetz customers feel the urge to spend time with a dog then they could volunteer at one of the many animal shelters where there are plenty of dogs who, while waiting for a permanent owner, would be glad of the attention. Please contact your MP and ask them to sign EDM 1699, which calls for the renting of dogs to be in breach of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Ask ITV not to feature animals on the next Britain's Got Talent

The recent series of Britain's Got Talent featured, amongst others, an act called Animalgique - a magic act featuring wild animals, such as, owls, snakes and a parrot. At one point, a woman came out of a box holding the snake above her head (stretched out) and then proceeded to dance around with him like he was a banner or scarf. The creators of this act own 51 animals, including a Honeydew Bear and were encouraged to come back with 'bigger animals'! This encourages the wrong kind of attitude to animals. It turns them into freak entertainment, encourages impulse purchases of exotic species such as reptiles and birds, and such entertainment shows are part of the reason why so many animals end up dumped in hard-pressed sanctuaries or by the side of the road where they are likely to meet a wretched end. Please contact ITV and ask them not to feature animals on any of their future talent shows.

Please write polite letters to:

ITV
Duty Office
Gas Street
Birmingham
B1 2JT

Tel: 0844 88 14150
Fax: 0844 88 14198

Ask Your MP to Support EDM 1279

By 2013, EU legislation will make it illegal to sell any cosmetics that contain ingredients or combinations of ingredients that have been tested on animals for cosmetic purposes.

Worryingly though, the British government has no checks in place to ensure that manufacturers are adhering to this legislation, and some bigger companies are even lobbying the government to get the timetabled deadlines shifted.

Mike Hancock MP has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM 1279) urging the government to ensure that the ban on animal testing follows its timetable. He is also asking for total transparency in product information with regards to animal testing, so that consumers can make informed purchasing decisions.

Please politely ask your MP to support EDM 1279 to help ensure that a total ban on animal testing of cosmetics is implemented in line with popular opinion.

Keep Giant Pandas Out of Edinburgh Zoo

As part of its centenary anniversary in 2009, Edinburgh Zoo is planning to rent a pair of giant pandas from China for exhibition and captive breeding over the next 10 years.

Giant pandas are extremely popular with the public and, according to The Scotsman, Edinburgh Zoo estimates its visitor figures could increase from 750,000 to over one million each year.

However, animals in zoos lead miserable lives and exhibit repetitive behavioural patterns resulting from the stress of their unnatural confinement, and from being gawped at by zoo visitors. Giant pandas can also become overweight in captivity and unable to mate naturally.

In captivity, only around 28 per cent of pandas breed, whereas in the wild around 100 per cent appear to be involved in breeding. There have been no successful reintroductions to the wild of captive-bred pandas. The best way to help these animals is by conserving their natural habitat.

Parliamentary ministers in England and Scotland have expressed concern at the plans by Edinburgh Zoo. Scottish Green MSP Robin Harper has tabled a Motion in the Scottish Parliament and MP Mike Hancock has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) in Westminister, urging the 'Scottish and UK Governments not to become involved in using live animals as currency in the course of diplomatic exchange.'

If you live in England, Wales or Scotland, please write to your MP and ask her or him to sign Early Day Motion 1588 - Pandas from China - tabled by Mike Hancock MP.

If you live in Scotland, please also write to your MSP and ask him or her to sign Motion S3M-1906 - Better Policies for Giant Panda Conservation, Breeding and Welfare - tabled by Robin Harper MSP.

Click on the link to find out who your MP or MSP is.

Help Canadian Bears

PETA has asked for your help. Please urge Gordon Brown and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to stop using bear pelts to make headpieces for the five guard's regiments and to have the hats fashioned from luxurious faux fur instead.

Bears are cruelly killed for their hides; they are either shot during hunts or ensnared, possibly for days, in painful traps. During hunts, as many as one bear in seven is not killed immediately after being shot, and some escape wounded, possibly dying later from blood loss or starvation. In some Canadian provinces, there are no restrictions on the shooting of mothers who have nursing cubs, leading to the slaughter of entire families during hunts.

For nearly two centuries, the MoD has waged a war on black bears while doing nothing to further the search for synthetic materials. In fact, when it was presented with high-tech synthetic materials by PETA – sourced from leading faux-fur manufacturers around the world and made to the MoD's own specifications, the MoD do no more than drag their feet and come up with lame excuses for not using the synthetic alternatives.

Please write to Gordon Brown:
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA

Help stop animal circuses

Please write to Lambeth Council and urge them to ban circuses with animals from their land. Zippos (which has horses, dogs and birds) has been using Brockwell Park in Lambeth, London for a number of years now. More than 200 local authorities have already banned circuses with animals from their land. It is about time Lambeth caught up with the times and followed suit.The arguments against training and touring with animals are compelling. The welfare of animals kept by circuses is always compromised. The constant travelling (for the animals at Zippos this is ten months every year), being housed in temporary accommodation, often kept alone, or tethered and forced to undergo 'training', is an unnatural existence. Animals are deprived of their ability to move, feed and socialise naturally. They are unable to express their normal behaviour. Martin Burton, aka Zippo, has even admitted that the budgies featured in the show do not fly; the most integral part of a bird's existence. Even when trainers are kind, this life is inappropriate for any animal. These animals do not choose to be in the circus, but the council can choose to ban acts like this from their land in future. Polls have shown that most people favour a complete ban on the use of all animals in circuses.

Please politely contact Lambeth Council and ask them to join over 200 local authorities and ban circuses using animals from their land.

FAO Councillor Steve Read
Lambeth Town Hall
Brixton Hill
London
SW2 1RW

Tel: 020 7926 1709

Help keep rainforest birds in the wild

The Brazilian Institute of the Environment (IBAMA) is attempting to legalise the trade of Brazilian native wild birds, such as the tucan, macaw and many other bird species from the rainforest. IBAMA has initiated a public consultation to find out which birds Brazilians would like to keep in their homes as pets. This information is intended to change the designation of these birds to domestic, allowing pet shops and anyone else involved in the pet trade to prosper at the expense of these birds' freedom. Please contact the Brazilian Minister of the Environment and President, asking them to discontinue the public consultation and keep native birds in the wild where they belong.

Stop Export of Nepalese Macaques for Experimentation

A coalition of groups - known as Stop Monkey Business - are campaigning against the export of Rhesus Macaques from Nepal to the United States, where they will be used in biomedical research (especially in the development of vaccines for diseases such as HIV/AIDS). The Nepalese macaques are in demand as they are genetically similar to the Indian macaques traditionally used in this type of research. India banned the export of all macaques in 1978, resulting in the increased interest in Nepal's monkeys. In 2003, the Nepalese government enacted a policy allowing the use of captive-bred animals for scientific research.

In Nepal, there is a groundswell of support for the campaign to ban the export of these animals as the monkeys are revered as sacred in both Hinduism and Buddhism. As export licences for the monkeys are still pending, it would seem possible that the government are deliberating about whether to issue the permits.

This is not a call for a boycott of Nepal, but instead to support the Nepalese activists who are putting pressure on their own government.

Please send a polite message of protest to the Embassy of Nepal
12A Kensington Palace Gardens
London
W8 4QU

DEFRA Circus Report Ignores the Plight of Animals

A new Defra Circus Working Group report (20 November 2007), on whether circuses should be allowed to keep and use wild animals, has judged that there is insufficient scientific evidence for a ban.

The Group was set up in response to the then Defra Minister Ben Bradshaw's announcement in 2006 that he was minded to ban the use of wild animals in travelling circuses under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The Working Group received submissions from both pro-circus and animal welfare representatives, but did not conduct any of its own investigations, nor did its members visit any circuses that use non-domestic animals. It insisted on taking into account only scientific evidence, and stated that a lack of evidence – whether in favour or against the use of animals – meant that it could not recommend a ban. It is true that there is little in the way of formal, peer reviewed scientific data on this subject. There is, however, a great deal of observational and undercover evidence of animals in circuses being subjected to extreme physical and mental torments. Forcing animals (whether domesticated or wild) to perform tricks, to travel all over the country, to remain chained and incarcerated – having removed them from their natural environments and their family and social groups – is self-evidently cruel and exploitative.

In response to the findings of the Working Group, Secretary of State for the Environment, Hilary Benn commented: ‘We will consider the report's findings carefully. I fully acknowledge that there is a strong body of opinion, both in Parliament and amongst the wider public, in favour of a ban. The Government will now want to hear reactions to the report and consider its position.’

More and more people actively boycott animal circuses and an increasing number of politicians also call for a ban. The irrational and inhumane response from Defra's Working Group must be challenged.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Please write a polite message to your MP, asking that he or she contacts Hilary Benn calling for a total ban on all performing animals in circuses.

Labour Supports Bloodsports

Although Labour pushed through a ban on hunting with dogs, the government is trying to appease bloodsports fanatics by promoting 'gamebird' shooting.

At the 2007 Labour Party conference, Ministers - including the Sports Minister, Gerry Sutcliffe; Rural Affairs Minister, Jonathan Shaw; and Home Office Minister, Vernon Coaker - gave their support to the shooting industry at a reception organised by the British Association for Shooting & Conservation (BASC).

Every year, around 40 million pheasants and partridges are factory-farmed to be shot for so called 'sport'.

Take Action:

Please write to your MP of whichever party to register your disgust with Labour’s promotion of shooting, and ask your MP to contact Hilary Benn (Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) to demand an end to the mass production of birds to be shot for sport.

Tesco's selling live animals

Turtles, tortoises and frogs are being sold live through Tesco's stores in China. Experts agree that killing such animals humanely is not easy and many customers buy the animals alive to kill at home. The welfare implications of farming these animals is particularly worrying given that there are no animal welfare laws in China.

While it is cultural to eat turtles and frogs in China, it is also cultural to eat dogs and cats. Tesco recognises that it is unacceptable to sell live mammals but it does not afford the same protection to non-mammals.

Contact Tesco: Tesco Corporate Responsibility Department, Tesco House, PO Box 44, Delamare Road, Cheshunt, Herts, EN8 9SL or email customer.service@tesco.co.uk

Tesco telephone numbers: Telephone: Corporate Responsibility Department - 01992 646 790 Customer Services Department - 0845 600 4411

For further information about this campaign, visit www.careforthewild.com or contact Care for the Wild at: info@careforthewild.com

You can also sign a petition against the trade here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/518761759?ltl=1171838829